Sliding-jaw, lever and rack actuated wrench



Sept, 13, 1949.

' w. PETERSEN SLIDING-JAW, LEVER AND RACK ACTUATED WRENCH Filed May 21,1945 m m m w.

Patented Sept. 13, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDING-JAW, LEVERAND BACK ACTUATED WRENCH William Petersen, De Witt, Nebr.

A plication May 21, 1945, serial No. 594,971

V 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to wrenches and it is an object of the inventionto provide a wrench of this kind ofa vise-grip type wherein is compriseda fixed jaw and a movable jaw traveling in substantially a straight pathtoward or from the movable jaw, and it is primarily an object of theinvention to provide means whereby the opposed or working faces of thejaws maintain their same plane relation at all times throughout therange of relative adjustment of said jaws.

The invention also has for an object to provide a wrench of this kindincluding two relative- 1y movable jaws and wherein the movement of oneof said jaws toward the other is effected through the ihstrumentality ofa rack and in a mannerwhereby the opposed or working faces of the jawsin all of their relative positions are in parallelism.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved wrenchwhereby certain important advantages are attained, as will behereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that my invention may be better understood, I will now proceedto describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Figure l is a view in side elevation and partly in section of a wrenchconstructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken substantially onthe line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken transversely of the tool on a linethrough the slide bar; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 ofFigure 1.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, the main handle member H isof channel formation with the intermediate or rear wall I terminating amaterial distance rearwardly of the head or forward end of the handlemember H. The side walls 2 of the handle member H disposed beyond theintermediate or back wall I are transversely enlarged to provide theextended plates 3, the forward edges of which are straight and inparallelism.

The side walls 2 are forwardly extended, as at 4, and welded orotherwise rigidly held therebetween is an attaching web 5 carried by therear face of a jaw 6 whereby said jaw 6 is fixed with respect to thehandle member H. This web 5 has an inner face 1 which is straight andsubstantially flush with the straight edges of the extended plates 3.

The extended plates 3 have welded or other- 2 wise rigidly carried bythe inside faces thereof the opposed parallel track bars 8 also parallelwith the forward straight edges of the extended plates 3. These trackbars ll extend entirely across the extended plates 3 and the adjacentportions of the side walls 2 of the handle member H.

Positioned between the extended plates 3 is a slide bar 9 having in itsside faces the guide channels l0 extending from end to end and in whichare substantially snugly received the track bars 8, whereby the slidebar 9 is mounted for rectilinear movement.

The forward longitudinal side of the slide bar 9 carries at one end anoutstanding jaw H, the inner or working face of which is substantiallyflat and parallel with the fiat working face of the fixed jaw 6. Theopposed or working faces of these jaws 6 and H are herein disclosed assubstantially at right angles to the forward straight edges of theextended plates 3;

The rear longitudinal edge face of the slide bar 9 is providedtherealong with the teeth l2, whereby said slide bar 9 also constitutesa rack with which constantly meshes a segment gear !4. This gear I4 ispositioned between the forward extremities of the side walls 2 and theextended plates 3 of the handle member H and is held to the handlemember H for rocking movement by the pivot member l5.

The gear l4 forwardly of its pivotal mounting is provided with thelaterally extending arm IE to which is operatively connected a tensionspring H which is also operatively connected to the intermediate or rearwall i of the handle member H. This tension spring l'l provides means toconstantly urge the slide bar 9 in a direction to maintain the jaw ll ofsaid bar at the limit of its movement away from the fixed jaw 6.

The outer end portion of the arm l6 has pivotally connected therewith,as at l8, an end portion of an operating handle or lever l9 and which,as herein disclosed, is also of channel formation. Pivotally engagedbetween the side walls of this lever or operating handle l9 through themedium of a pin 20 is an end portion of a stub lever or fulcrum bar 2|.This bar 2| is of desired length and extends rearwardly between the sidewalls of the handle member H at the rear portion thereof. The endportion of the stub lever or fulcrum bar 2| extending between the sidewalls 2 of the handle member H is transversely enlarged to provide across-head 22 which has a width greater than the thickness of the bar.

The side walls 2 of the handle member H at said rear portion thereof andfor a desired length are pressed together to provide a slot 23 of awidth less than the length of the cross-head 22 to provide means tomaintain the stub lever or fulcrum bar 2| in effective position duringthe use of the wrench or, in other words, to prevent the stub lever orfulcrum bar 2| from dropping away from the handle member H. Thecross-head 22 has direct contact with the forward reduced. pin extremity24 extending axially from the forward end of a shank 25 threadingthrough a sleeve 26 formed at the rear extremity of the handle member H.

It is believed to be obvious that the wrench as herein embodied is onewherein the opposed or working faces of the jaws 6 and Ifwill at alltimes be parallel within the working range of adjustment of said jawsone with respect to the other, thus assuring the wrench having effectiveclamping action on the work therebetween and in a manner whereby iseliminated such jaws having an angular point of contact with the work.

The wrench as herein embodied is also one which assures the maintenanceof the same pressure on the work at all times with a minimized liabilityof the jaws slipping from the work.

From the foregoing description it is-thought to be obvious that a wrenchconstructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adaptedfor use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it maybeassembled and operated.

I claim:

1. A wrench comprising a handle member provided at one end portion withspaced side walls, a fixed jaw at said end portion of the handle member,opposed faces of said side walls being provided with guide tracksextending across behind said fixed jaw, a slide bar positioned betweensaid walls and slidably engaging said guide tracks to move therealong, agear rack on the LJI slide bar, an outstanding jaw carried by said slidebar for coaction with the fixed jaw, a segment gear pivotally mountedbetween the side walls of the handle member and operatively engagingsaid gear rack for imparting endwise movement to the slide bar uponrocking of the segment gear, said segment gear pivot being on thelongitudinal center of the handle member, means for normally-maintainingthe jaw of the slide bar at the limit of itsmovement away from the fixedjaw, an outstanding arm carried by the segment gear, an operatin handlepivotally engaged with the outer end of said arm, and a stub leverpivotally engaged with the operating handle adjacent to the said end, ofthe arm and pivotally coupled with the handle member, whereby swingingmovement of the operating handle toward the handle member applies thrustto said arm to rock the segment gear in a direction to move the jaw oftheslide bar toward the fixed jaw.

2. A wrench as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for normallymaintaining the jaw of the slide bar at its limit of movement away fromthe fixed jaw comprises a tension spring secured at one end to the armof the segment gear between the gearpivot and the pivotal connectionbetweenthe arm and the operating handle and secured at its other end tothe handle member.

' WILLIAM PETERSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 1,877,642 Brady Sept. 13, 19322,156,529 Day May 2, 1939 2,280,005 Petersen Apr. 14, 1942 2,320,303Ross May 25, 1943

